Buffing wheel



Sept. 8, 1953 F. E. HENDRICKSON BUFFING WHEEL 2 vSheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1951 Sept. 8, 1953 F. E. HENDR'lcKsoN BUFFING WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1951 Patented Sept. 8, 1953 BUFFING WHEEL Fritz E. Hendrickson, South Elgin, Ill., assignor of one-half to Murray Ireland, Elgin, Ill.

Application May24, 1951, Serial No. 228,003

6 Claims. (Cl. 51-193) This invention relates to improvements in bufng wheels, and more particularly to a flexible bufling wheel construction in which an endless bufng element is removably attached to a central mounting part or hub.

Previous constructions of buing wheels lhave been subject to certain disadvantages, not only in assembly and disassembly but also in construction and use. These disadvantages have occasioned ex'cessive amounts of time in assembling and disassembling a wheel, as well as high costs of operation and inefficient, unsatisfactory results in their use. It has been a common practice in this art of providing flex-ible buiiing elements gathered or bunched around the periphery of the central hub or mounting part and extending radially outward thereof. While this may provide a soft" wheel at its periphery when new, it becomes increasingly hard as wearreduces the working diameter into the bunched fabric. As a result of this change in bufiing character, the fabric elements are frequently replaced causing a considerable loss of operating time, increased assembly time, and high costvbyl waste of fabric. v

The present invention seeks to eliminate the foregoing objectionable features by 4providing a buffng wheel construction having va `central hub or mounting element on which there are peripherally spaced outwardly tapered fingers, an endless strip type bufng fabric arranged to be mounted on the fingers and folded in such a manner as to effect a wider buing area, softer bung characteristics throughout its working diameter, increased ventilation efficiency, and a reduction in fabric waste, and retainers coacting with the mounting fingers to pressure lock the mounted fabric thereon.

Therefore, it is an important object of this invention to provide a buifing wheel which isso constructed that it can be assembled and disassembled easily and quickly.

A further object is to provide a buiiing wheel of such construction as to effect uniform bufling characteristics throughout the entire working diameter of the bufng element. y.

Another and further object is to provide a buifing wheel having an endless bufng element so folded in operative arrangement as to effect a wider buiiing area and more eiiicient centrifugal ventilation.

Still another object is to -provide a continuous strip bufng element folded, rather than cut, to desired shape and form to eliminate waste of fabric.

Still another and further object is to provide a continuous bufflng element so foldedrin operative arrangement as to form spa-ced pockets along the length thereof.

Yet another object is to provide a bufng wheel having a center mount and a fabric buing element effectively and detachably secured around the periphery of said mount by novel attachment means effecting a readily releasable engagement of the attached parts.

A still further object is to provide a bufiing wheel comprising a center mount having extending ngers on which are mounted an endless bufng element retained thereon against release by separate and removable retainer means.

Yet another and still further object is to provide a buffing wheel comprising a center mount having tapered fingers each of which effect a pressure engagement between a bufiing element and a removable retainer mounted thereon.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description ofthe annexed sheets of drawings,- which disclose preferred embodiments of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a face View of a bufling wheel constructed accordingl to lthe principles of the present invention, a portion of the buiiing'element being broken away to better show the folding arrangement; y 5

Figure 2 is a top view in elevation of the buiiing element as seen when looking down on the periphery of the wheel shown in Figure 1 and with the margins of the builng element extending directly away from 'each other;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating thebuiiing element with the marginal portions thereof folded toward each otherV in operative arrangement;

y Figure 4 is a fragmental radial cross-sectional View taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the endless fabric bufng Velement showing the folded arrangement thereof in a form ready for mounting on a central hub;

FigureV 6 is a front face view of a locking or retainer member;

Figure 7 is a face view of a central mounting hub on which a mounted bufng element is locked by the retainer member; and,

Figure 8 is a side view in elevation of the retainer member.

As shown on the drawings:

Referringnow in detail to the several figures, the numeral I0 generally designates a bufiing element which comprises one or more thicknesses of strip textile material. These strips Il, Il

n are cut ona bias with respect to the weave to refolded across the width thereof to provide pleats Y I3, I3 preferably of rectangular shape and uniform size. It is preferred that the pleats be uniforrnly spaced along the length of the bands for a purpose to be more apparent hereinafter. If 1desired, a bufng element of greater working-width may be effected by again foldingthe bands-across the pleats to provide additional pleats. Asiolded, the pleated bands arestitched or otherwise secured together along the spaced seams i4 and i5 extending medially lengthwise of the bands. Centrally located in the pleats and between the spaced seams are elongated mounting openings I6, I6. It has been found desirable to reinforce the pleats around the openings by strips I1, Il of fabric heavier than the plies or bands, in which case the seams I4 and I5 also secure 'them in place. It is in this folded form that the bufling fabric is applied to Ta central mounting or driving hub I8. l

The mounting hub has a plate or 'washer I8 on one side to provide proper spacing when a plurality of buifing wheels are combined to form a composite Wheel. tend radially outward Vof the hub and are uniformly spaced around its periphery. It is to be noted that the side edges 2I and 22 of each finger taper outwardly Vtoward each other for a purpose which later will be more fully explained. In diametrical alignment with each nger and in the body of the hub are two openings 23 and 24.

Aretainer lock 25 (Figure 6) has a vertically extending body 26 terminating atits lower end in a hook 21 and at its upper end in -an enlarged, generally oval-shaped Vportion 28. Vlxtending medially along the length of the enlarged end portion is an angular offset 29, facing in the same direction as the hook, landa at'bearing plate 30. Centrally of the oiset is an elongated opening 3i of suflicient width andlength to receive therethrough the upper end portion of a fingern. An outwardly depressed locking button V32 is provided in the lower portion of the retainer lock body in axial alignment with the opening 3I-. The button and hook are spaced to engage within the openings 23 and 24, respectively, in the mounting hub. As best shown in Figure 4, when the retainer lock is applied to a finger on the 'hub the end of the ringer extends through the opening 3| and bears against the bearing plate 30, and the locking button 32 Yand hook 21 extend, Vrespectively, through the openings 23 and 24.

The buning element I0, as shown in Figure 5 is applied to the central hub I8 in the following manner. The hook end and narrow body of a retainer lock 25 are inserted through an opening I6 of the pleated band or buiiing element from the outer or reinforced side thereof. One of the lingers 20 on the mounting hub is then inserted, from the inside of the buiiing element, vthrough the opening IB in face engagement with the retainer lock and through the opening 3| therein. Pressure is applied against the enlarged end of the retainer lock to force the lock to a position in which the hook end 21 and locking button 32 respectively enter the hub openings 2 4 and 23. As pressure is applied to effect interlocking of the Mounting fingers 20, 20 ex- Y '4 retainer and finger, the bufng element is forced downwardly on the tapered edges of the finger. This action stretches the fabric to lengthen the elongated opening I6. As the folded and reinforced fabric tends to resist stretching, it effects an inward pressure against the opposite tapered edges of the finger. As a result, the fabric is forced and maintained against the enlarged end yof the retainer lock. Furthermore, the stretching of the fabric to lengthen the opening I6 effects a reduction of its width with a resulting pressure against .Opposite faces of the retainer and nger thereby/,maintaining them in interlocked relation. `In la similar manner, the succeeding pleated rportions of .the bufiing element are applied and locked to a mounting finger. As many folded portions Yare provided as there are mounting lingers. It is desired that the pleats be uniformly spaced to provide similar lengths of unfolded strip material therebetween. The length of the folded bufling element (Figure 5) is greater than the circumference taken around the ends of the mounting fingers. As a result, the strip portions 33 are folded radially of the hub to provide loose pleats 34, 34. It is preferred that each of the marginal portions of the bufng element on either side of the medial seams be wider than the radial length of the pleats 34. This arrangement provides an initial peripheral exposure, as buiiing surfaces, of the wave-like edges of the marginal portions when they are folded toward each other to effect an annular disk.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the buing element in operative form is so distorted and hunched by the folding as to produce cup-shaped internal pockets, such as 35 in Figure 3, at each of the mounting lingers. The side walls of the pockets are formed by portions of the margins IIa and I I b of the buing element and the end walls by the radially extending folds 34. It is preferred, as shown, to so fold the buffing element bands that each end wall of a pocket includes an end of a pleat I3 and an overlapping fold of a radially extending pleat 34. Also, that the outward end of the radial fold or pleat terminate below the peripheral working edges of the margins of the 'bufng element when folded toward each other (see Figure 4). By these provisions, the folds progressively form working surfaces as the diameter of the buffing element decreases. As allof the Apleats in the buing element extend generally radially outward of the mounting hub and are uniformly folded along their length, a buing element is eifected in which "soft bufng characteristics are maintained without appreciable change during the entire Working life of the wheel. Should it be desired, the reinforcing strips I'I can be provided of suiiicient length to extend along the end walls of the bufng element pockets and either terminate at or below `the peripheral workingedge of the element. This provision effects a change in the bufng characteristics dependent, of course, on the thicknessand hardness of the fabric. Also, the pockets are reinforced along the entire length of the ends thereof providing strength in the fabric during the working life of the buiiing element. In addition to the foregoing, the direction, size and uniformity of passageways resulting from the folding promote more efficient radial ventilation of the wheel thereby extending its Working life.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same, and that Various changes and modifications in form and structure may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A bufng wheel comprising an endless band buidng element of fabric material, folds in said element forming an annular disk, a flat diskshaped hub 'for mounting said element, fingers spaced around the periphery of the hub and having outwardly tapering edges, said buffing element having elongated openings therein generally shaped to conform to the fingers and each being narrower than the tapered receiving portions thereof whereby the fabric around the opening is stretched in said narrower direction and the size of the opening in the other direction is reduced thereby effecting pressure against and around the nger, a retainer lock for each linger, said lock having at one end an enlarged retainer portion with an offset and an opening therein and at its other end a locking button and a hook, said hub having openings therein between each finger and the axis of rotation for receiving said button and hook, the end of the finger projecting through the opening in the offset portion of the retainer, said builing element being applied and locked to the hub for embracing a finger and a retainer lock and locked thereon on one side by the tapered edges of the finger and on the other side by the enlarged retainer portion,

said pressure exerted by the stretched fabric around the mounting opening maintaining the interengagement of said finger and lock.

2. The method of making a buing wheel fabric which comprises, cutting a strip of fabric of proper length and width, stitching the ends of said strip to form an endless tubular band, folding portions of said strip across the width thereof to provide rectangularly shaped pleats of multiple thickness uniformly sized and spaced along the length of the band and having a portion of single thickness of the band connecting each pair of adjacent pleats, stitching said strip and pleats medially of the length thereof, further folding said strip across the width thereof between adjacent pleats to form additional rectangularly shaped pleats, folding said folded pleated strip along and outwardly of said medial stitching to form an annular disk adapted for mounting around the periphery of a bufng Wheel, and in the sides of said disk forming pleats having overlapping folds extending generally radially of the buiiing wheel.

3. A bufling wheel comprising an endless band buing element of fabric material folded medially lengthwise to form an annular disk and having mounting openings therein, a disk-like mounting hub having peripherally spaced and outwardly tapered mounting fingers, the fabric being arranged when forced at an opening along a mounting finger to stretch and exert pressure thereagainst, and a retainer lock for each finger having one end enlarged for holding the mounted band thereon and its other end extending along the flnger through the fabric opening and terminating in a hook to engage in an opening in the finger, the cooperation of parts being such that when said enlarged end of the lock is forced against the fabric and along the tapered finger to a hook engaged position the stretched fabric around the opening exerts tension on and maintains said finger and lock in hook engaged position.

4. A buffing wheel comprising an elongated strip of fabric material forming a tubular band,

folds widthwise of the band forming pleats spaced therealong, a seam extending medially7 lengthwise of the band securing the pleats thereto, said pleats having mounting openings therethrough and spaced along said seam, a mounting hub, outwardly tapered fingers peripherally spaced around the hub, the space between adjacent mounting openings of the band being greater than the space between adjacent lingers, of the hub, the fabric being arranged when forced at each opening along a mounting finger to stretch and exert pressure thereagainst, a retainer lock for each finger having one end enlarged for holding the mounted band on the hub and its other end extending along the finger through the fabric opening and terminating in a hook to engage in an opening in the finger, the cooperation of parts being such that when the enlarged end of the lock is forced against the fabric and along the tapered finger to hook engaged position the stretched fabric around the opening effects tension on and maintains the finger and lock in hook engaged position, and a pocket in said folded band at each finger formed when the band is medially folded upon itself into an annular disk and additional pleats are formed by the difference in spacing of the openings and fingers, portions of the sidewalls between said additional pleats forming the sides of the pocket and the ends of the pocket being formed of portions of said widthwise pleats extending between the disk sidewalls.

5. The method of making a buffing wheel fabric which comprises, cutting a strip of fabric of proper length and width, joining the ends of said strip to form a tubular band, folding portions of said strip across the width thereof to provide pleats of multiple thickness at spaced intervals around the periphery of the band having a portion of single thickness of the band connecting adjacent pleats, stitching said strip and pleats medially of the tubular band, and folding said band along said medial stitching to form an annular disk adapted for mounting around the periphery of a bufiing wheel.

6. The method of making a bufiing Wheel fabric which comprises, cutting a strip of fabric of proper length and width, joining the ends of said strip to form a tubular band, folding portions widthwise of said strip upon itself to form pleats of multiple thickness of uniform rectangular shape and size spaced evenly around the periphery of the band and having a portion of single thickness of the band connecting each pair of adjacent pleats, stitching said strip and pleats medially of the tubular band, folding said band along and outwardly of said medial stitching to form an annular disk adapted for mounting around the periphery of a buiiing wheel, and forming pleats in the sides of said disk around the circumference thereof.

FRITZ E. HENDRICKSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,404,620 Sevett Jan. 24, 1922 2,004,623 Yoke June 11, 1935 2,226,625 MacFarland et al. Dec. 3l, 1940 2,280,399 Garling Apr. 21, 1942 2,489,193 Mockiewicz Nov. 22, 1949 2,508,065 Hendrickson May 16, 1950 2,559,385 Bahr July 3, 1951 2,562,688 Bahr July 31, 1951 

